90s music: Dirty guitar sounds, wishy-washy pop and electronic sets

The 90s - the decade of self-fulfillment and emancipation. Not only did the garish and colorful fashion style at the time make this decade noticeable, the music world did too. Electronic sounds found in house and techno experienced a revival, boy bands and girl groups ruled the pop world, rock revealed itself in completely new ways and hip hop overran the music world - and all of it took place in the 90s!

The phenomenon of the boyband was already well known thanks to the Beatles, but in the 90s there was a real boom: Take That, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC - mid tempo love songs and heartbreaking ballads alternated with cool 90s dance tracks. The boys in these bands weren’t only filling the front pages of Bravo, but also the largest concert halls in the world. On the female front, the Spice Girls were just as successful. With their first hit "Wannabe" they managed to jump right to the top of charts in 30 different countries and went on to become an integral part of the international pop music scene.

Electronic music also experienced a boom in the 90s, creeping into the music of mainstream pop artists such as in Madonna's album "Ray of Light". House and techno, in particular, developed further, establishing themselves as two of the most popular music genres in Europe. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, the general feeling at the time was one of peace and new beginnings. As a result, new influences from the east mingled with western styles. Young people indulged in celebrating this new expression through outdoor raves, the largest of which came in the form of the Love Parade.